Method of and apparatus for making brick



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet .1.

J. O. ANDERSON.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICK. No. 268,976.

Patented Dec. 12,; 1882.

Info can/ ar,-

N. PETERS. PNMo-Ulhugnpher, Wnhingmn. D. C.

("No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.-

J. O. ANDERSON.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FORMAKING BRICK.

, Nd. 268,976 Patented Deo.12, 1882.

lawn/1 n. PET as. Fh wumnpw, Wnhiuglun. u, c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J; U. ANDERSONI METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICK. No. 268,976.Pqte nted Dec. 12, 1882.

= :mlinwr IIHHHIII (No Mudel.) 4 SheetsSheet 4.

-J. G. ANDERSON. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKINGBRIGK.

180.268.976. Patented Dec. 1-2, 1882.

UNITED. STATES PATENT Erica.

JAMES C. ANDERSON, OF HIGHLAND ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,976, dated December12, 1882.

Application filed lfovember 10, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JAMES C. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Highland Park, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of andApparatus for the Manufacture of Brick; and I do declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact descriptionot' the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and

to the letters and figures of reference marked consists in the method ofexcavating the clay,

conducting the clay to the pressing mechanism, pressing the clay intobrick form, and conveying the same from the machine in one and the sameoperation.

My invention consists, further, in the construction and arrangement ofthe excavating-wheel in such relation to the molds that the same arefilled with the clay by the excavating-wheel and conveyed to thepressing mechanism.

My invention consists,- further, in mounting the excavating-wheel andmold bearing and carrying apparatus in a rigid frame-work piv v otallyconnected to the main driving and supporting mechanism, so that theexcavating wheel and molds can be raised or lowered without changingtheir relative position to the pressing mechanism.

My invention consists, further, in mounting the operatingparts on avessel or other portable device, so that the apparatus can be movedforward to the clay bed and receive its supply therefrom.

My invention consists, further, in the construction of theejecting-plungers and their relative arrangement to the molds, wherebythe brick is ejected from the molds while the plunger and mold arebothin motion without injury to the brick.

My invention consists, further, in certain details of construction,which will be fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, ofmy machineas appliedto aboat. Fig. 2 is a top or'plan. yiew of the same. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation, partly in section, showing the working parts. Fig. 4 is adetached View, on a large scale, of the molds and pressing mechanism.Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the molds and pressing mechanism on theline 00 00 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a top view of a detached portion of themold-chain. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the mold-chain on the line a mofFig. 6.

' Heretofore in making common or what is known as slop brick the clay isfirst dug from the bank or bed and transferred to the tempering orpugging pit, where it is mixed with water and thoroughly kneaded ortempered, after which it is shoveled from the pit;

and transported to the molding-bench or molding mechanism to be moldedinto brick, and thence to the drying-yard, and thus frequent handlingof' the clay is. necessary before it is converted into the proper brickform,such frequent handling and shoveling of the clay prior to yardingthe brick being. the main item of expense in the manufacture of thiskind of brick.

In some locations, especially in the bottoms of rivers, stratuins orveins of good clay for making the ordinary brick are to be found. Suchclay is found in vast quantities in and around the city of Chicago, andmuch of it is thrown up by the ordinary dredging in deepening andwidening the channels of the rivers and other streams, and in theexcavations made for building docks, JlBIS, &c. This clay has beenutilized to some extent in making brick; but by the process andappliances now in use the clay is excavated and thrown out to the bankor transported to other places to dry, after which it is pegged,tempered, and pressed into bricks, thus necessitating the handling ofthe clay many times before the bricks are formed or finished.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a vessel of any suitable ordesirable construction, on which I mount the operating parts of mymachine, as will be described hereinafter in detail.

ICO

I do not limit myself to the use of a vessel in the operations of mymachine, as it may be applied to a land carriage or vehicle of anysuitable or desirable kind.

B and B are brackets or standards secured to the deck of the vessel orother vehicle, in which I mount the necessary mechanism. In the presentinstance the shafts O, O,and O are secured in suitable hearings in thestandards B B. The shaft 0 is provided with a liand-pulley,D, over whichthe driving-belt D passes, and is connected to the engine or othersuitable power, (not shown.) Shaft C is also provided with aband-pulley, D the office of which will be presently more fullydescribed. A pinion-wheel, E, is also secured to the shaft 0 whichmeshes with and imparts motion to the shaft 0 through the gear-wheel E.The shaft 0 is provided with a pinion-wheel, E which meshes with thegearwheel Fon the shaft (J and imparts motion thereto. To the shaft 0 isalso secured the drum for driving the molds, in which are mounted thebrickejecting plunger-s, as will be more fully described with referenceto Figs. 4 and 5.

F is a drum of octagonal or other form in peripheral outline, tocorrespond with the links a, of the mold-chain F and by which means themold-chain is caused to travel. The drum F is cut away, as at a, toreceive and guide the plungers G. The plungers G are recessed, as at ato receive the cut-away portions a of the drum. The plungers are alsoprovided with studs or projections I), which are confined in cam-groovesb in the plates b andby which means the plungers are projected outwardto expel the brick from the molds, and also retracted, so as topartially form the bottom of the mold when the brick is being pressed.It will beobserved that the molds travel with the same velocity as thepressing points or projections on the wheel 1 and that theejecting-plungers have the same motion,so that when they are broughtinto action they press squarely on the brick and free it from the moldwithout injury thereto.

G G are plates of boiler-iron, which constitute the sides of theframe-work for supporting the excavating mechanism and the moldchain aswell as the driving mechanism. The plates G G are pivot-ally supportedby the shalt C, so that the excavating-wheel and mold-chain can beraised or lowered to reach the clay beds of different depths. The sideplates are connected at their upper edges by, a plate, G of boiler-iron,which not only serves to brace the side plates and form a rigidstructure, but also serves as a bottom to the open molds to retain theclay therein during its transit from the excavating-Wheel to thepressing mechanism, and as a guard to the molds beneath. The sideplates, G G, are perforated, as shown at c, which tends to lighten thestructure, and also affords access to the molds in the interior of theframe-work to facilitate cleaning, repairs, 850.

H and H are shafts secured in the lower the sprocket-chains H fordriving the excavating-wheel. The shaft H is also provided with a drum,H whose peripheral outline cor responds with that of the drum F, andaround which the mold-chain passes.

To the shaft H is secured the excavatingwheel I, said wheel beingprovided with a series of scoops or scrapers, (I, which loosen the clayand throw it forward into the molds, the surplus of clay being removedfrom the mold by means of a scraper, of, secured to standards (1 mountedin or attached to the side plates, G G.

The. mold-chain consists of a series of sections, 6, hinged together inthe manner of an endless chain, and having therein the moldcavities 0'.The sections of the molds are made of the same length as the flatportions of the drums F and H so that such flat portions in the drumsact much in the nature of sprocketwheels, and cause the mold-chain totravel around the frame-work G.

l is a press-wheel secured to the shaft 0, and provided with a series ofplungers or pressing-points of the proper size and configuration topartially enter the mold-cavities and press the clay therein, andagainst the ejecting-plunger G and flat portion of the drum F, which actas the bottom of the mold and also as an anvil. The edges of themold-cavities are slightly rounded at the top, so as to admit of thefree passage of the pressing-points l thereinto. (Sec dotted lines atf,Fig. l.)

J is a bail secured to the sides G, to which is attached the chain J,which in turn is se-' cured to the drum J ot'the hoisting mechanism, andby which the excavating-wheel and the lower portion of the frame can beraised and lowered at will.

K is a shaft secured in thestandards B B, and provided with a pulley, K,for the reception of the band K which passes over the pulley D on themain driving-shaft, and thus motion is imparted to the shaft K.

To the shaft K is also secured a bevel-wheel, L, which meshes with asimilar wheel, L, on the shaft L the office of which is to impart motionto the ofi-bearing belt M, which conveys the newly-formed brick awayfrom the machine.

1 will now proceed to describe the devices for moving the machine alongand feeding it up to the clay stratum.

On theinner end of the shaft 0 is secured a fast and loose pulley, M,for the reception of the band M which passes over the pulley N on thedrum-shaft N. N is the rope-drum, around which the propelling-rope O iswound in such a manner that as the boat is being driven in one directionby winding up one end of the rope the other portion of the rope is being unwound to admit of the boat moving forward or backward, as isdesired. The other ends of the rope or ropes are secured to posts orstandards 0, firmly secured in the earth at suitable distances apart,(only one of which is shown,) and are connected by a brace-rod,

or other suitable device.

P P are brackets secured to the side of the boat, in which are securedadjustablesliding arms P, and in which are'mounted the frictionwheels P,which steadyand guide the boat, and admit of the boat being set over toone or the other side, so that the excavatingwheel will be brought intocontact with a new portion of the clay bed and cut therefrom another,

B the boat will be propelled in a reverse direction but when suchreversal of direction is required a clutch mechanism should be used toallow of the working of the propelling mechanism without moving or doingviolence to the excavating or molding mechanism.

I will now proceed to describe the operation of. the machine. I i

The posts or columns having been planted or set in their'proper positionand the propelling mechanism just described set in motion, theexcavating-wheel is lowered so as to come in. contact with the clay bed,as shown in Fig. 1. The clay is shaved 05 or loosened and thrown forwardin the mold-cavities of the mold-chain,and is conducted upward to thepressing mechanism, where it is pressed compactly in the molds and formsthe bricks, after which the bricks are ejected by the plungers G ontothe oif-carrying belt, by which they are borne to the drying-yard. Itwill be observed that during the entire operation the clay has beenmanipulated by machinery, so that all the manual labor required is forthe removal of the bricks from the off-bearing belt after theyhave beenfinished, and the usual handlingin stacking and burning.

The excavating-wheel is constructed of-snch capacity that a much largeramount of clay is excavated in the first operation than is neces sary tofill the molds, and is scraped off, so that frequent working over willresult, and the clay will be thus practically tempered in the operation.

The propelling devices which I have described will be found to answerwell where the machine is worked near the drying and burningyard; but 'Ido not confine myself to this mode of propulsion, for itis obvious thatother means of propulsion may be used-as stern or side wheelsora s'crewpropellerand the bricks may be made at a distance from the yard, stackedup on the boat until a load ismade, and then be transported to the yard,all of which will be embraced within the scope of my invention.

It is obvious that a separation may take place between the dredging andpressing operation, and in such cases I may also first dredge the clay,and elevate it to the deck of the vessel or into a hopper, and thence tothe pressing mechanism; but such .a process should be practicallycontinuous, so that the brick can be formed while the clay iswatersoaked and moist, as fresh from the bed or in certain kinds of claya presser-bar or scraper may be all that is necessary to form theordinary slop-brick. I may also, when my portable device is used uponland, dig and mold the clay in its natural state as it comes direct fromthe clay beds without being water-soaked, all

of which will come within the scopetof my invention.

Having thus described myinvention,what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. The method herein described of making brick, the sameconsisting inexcavating the clay from the clay beds direct into a series of connectedmolds, and then conveying said molds direct to the pressing mechanism,all in one continuous operation, as set forth, whereby the manual laborof shoveling or handling the clay is obviated.

2. As an improvement in the art of manufacturing brick, the methodherein described of mounting the excavating and "brick-forming mechanismon a boat or other vehicle,propelling the same into the clay bank orstratum, excavating the clay, and pressing it into bricks or blocks inone and the same operation, as set forth.

3. As an improvement in the art of making brick, the combination of adredging or excavating machine with a pressing or brick-forming machineconstructed on and made part of a boat, vehicle, or other portablestructure.

4. As an improvement in the art of making brick, a dredging orexcavating device for loosening or digging the clay from the bed,devices for raising the clay from the excavating-machine, and mechanism,substantially such as described, for forming the clayinto bricks, allarranged tooperate as set forth.

5. In a brick-machine, the combination of a swinging frame, carrying atits outer end an excavating device, with a series or endless chain ofmolds, and mechanism, substantially such as described, for driving theexcavating 'mechanism and molds, as set forth.

6. In a brick-making machine provided with an excavating device and anendless chain of brick-forming molds, the combination of the drum F,providedwith movable plungers, with the pressing wheel or drum 1 as setforth.

7. The combination of the endless chain of molds and pressure-wheel 1provided with the pressing-points 1 for entering said molds, with thedrum F and brick-ejecting plungers, as set forth.

8. The ejecting-plungers mounted in the drum, as described, incombination with the endless chain or series of molds, whereby the brickis ejected from the mold while the mold and plunger are both in motion,as set forth.

9. In a brick or other molding machine, a series/of molds for containingthe material to be pressed, a supporting-drum, and a pressing- 7 wheelthe pressing-points of which enter the molds to compact the material.

10.'The drum F, provided with the ejecting-plungers G, constructedsubstantially as described, in combination with the plates b havingformed therein the cam-grooves for the reception of the studs I) of theplungers, whereby the ejecting-plungers are held flush with the face ofthe drum during the pressing operation and projected forward to expelthe brick after the pressing operation, as set forth.

11. The combination of the excavatingwheel and endless chain of moldswith the bail J, chain J, and winding-drum J whereby theexcavating-wheel and molds may be raised and lowered, as set forth.

12. The'combination of the brackets B B,

securely fastened in position with the drivingshafts O C 0 with theirconnected mechanism, with the excavating, carrying, and pressingmechanism, as set forth.

13. The combination of a dredging and brick-making machine with apropelling device substantially such as described, whereby the machineis steadied to its work and a uniform cut or kerf is given to thebrick-making mechanism, as set forth.

14. The combination of the shaft 0, pro- .vided with the drum F, theframe G, provided with the drum E the endless chain of molds,sprocket-wheelsc c and sprocket-ch ain H with the excavating-wheel I, asset forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JL 0.- ANDERSON.

Witnesses LILLIE E. ANDERSON, JAS. GoMPToN.

